Star 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir is committed to recruiting the NFL’s best defensive talent to San Francisco.
After publicly selling Las Vegas Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby on the Bay on Jan. 20, Lenoir made his case to Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett on Monday, hours after the All-Pro requested a trade out of Cleveland.
What Type of Animal you wanna be ? We got Hyenas, Bears, Lions and Gorillas @Flash_Garrett
— Deommodore lenoir (@Dmo_lenoir) February 3, 2025
Lenoir referenced the animal nicknames he and his 49ers teammates share — edge rusher Nick Bosa is the bear, offensive tackle Trent Williams is the gorilla, inside linebacker Fred Warner is the lion and Lenoir himself is the hyena — and invited Garrett to enter the 49ers’ big-name zoo with the critter of his choosing.
Garrett would be an excellent get for San Francisco. The six-time Pro Bowl selection averages 14.9 sacks per season and is the 2023 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year. But perhaps most enticingly, Garrett yearns for contention after merely reaching the playoffs twice in Cleveland with zero wins.
“As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl — and that goal fuels me today more than ever,” Garrett wrote in his official trade request, later adding, “While I’ve loved calling [Cleveland] my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent. … With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.”
Lenoir and the 49ers can get down with Garrett’s sentiment.
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San Francisco remains hell-bent on its quest for a sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy, and the soon-to-be-former Cleveland icon fits the 49ers’ timeline.
Garrett, though, would be as massive an acquisition as he would be an expense. He still has two years left on the five-year, $125 million extension signed in 2020 and, as NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan illustrated on Monday, presumably would net the Browns a formidable haul of picks and prospects.
Nevertheless, Lenoir and his 49ers — or fellow wildlife — can dream.
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